In a blog by Gene Roe he makes the following statements:
3D Laser Scanning/LIDAR Business is Booming
From every indicator that I can see the 3D laser scanning and LiDAR business is booming. Every professional that I speak with is reporting that they are very busy and they are looking to hire people. As an example Meridian Associates, based north of Boston, but with offices around the US has just posted a job opening for a Project Supervisor.
It is going to be interesting to see how this industry grows over the next 5 years now that the technology has been established. One can only imagine the opportunity if construction were to pick up, along with the economy in general. If you are not a part of this industry, it’s not too late, but the train is leaving the station.
When reading the posted job opening there is mention of surveying.
It is down in the last paragraph the last sentence of the posting as follows: "field and survey experience considered a plus." Wouldn't it be nice to see that surveying was required? Wouldn't it be nice to see that a PLS was required to supervise this mapping?
I think there is a reason that surveyors are not holding on to the lead here. Wonder if anyone else can guess what that reason is? Well, hey, should we be the lead or not?
Generally, unless you have the specific operation that is covered in your State Regs, the industry will go with the lowest paid tech they can get.
> .. the industry will go with the lowest paid tech they can get.
Thats not a completely true statement. Some in the industry may, but overall, it would probably make you sick to your stomach to see just how much money we low paid techs make.
Surveyor with laser scanning experience, sure.
Surveyor with enough nouse to sit down and learn how laser scanning and the software works, sure.
Random surveyor off the street to supervise because "it's something to do with spatial". No thanks.
I view Scanning and LIDAR much like Aerial Photography, the people doing it should be license/certified. Are all Photogramitrist licensed land surveyors, maybe, depending on state law but from my expierence it is the surveyor that sets control for the Aeriel Photography. Surveyors should provide the foundation for the Scanning and LIDAR and if the surveyor knows how, the scanning and LIDAR as well, but for the work to be done exclusively by a licensed land surveyor, I just don't see it.
It would be great for the profession and the profession should embrace scanning and LIDAR but it appears it will go the way of GIS, a missed opportunity.
Brad
> Surveyor with laser scanning experience, sure.
> Surveyor with enough nouse to sit down and learn how laser scanning and the software works, sure.
> Random surveyor off the street to supervise because "it's something to do with spatial". No thanks.
:good:
Surveyors should provide the foundation for the Scanning and LIDAR and if the surveyor knows how, the scanning and LIDAR as well, but for the work to be done exclusively by a licensed land surveyor, I just don't see it.
>
> It would be great for the profession and the profession should embrace scanning and LIDAR but it appears it will go the way of GIS, a missed opportunity.
>
> Brad
:good:
:good:
Does this scanning and LIDAR you speak of help surveyors determine and perpetuate boundary lines? Then, yes, a surveying license is required.
However, I can't figure out how a scanner will help me do that.
Yes, it can help create a detailed picture on my computer, needing lots of drafting skill, effort, and high-end computing in the process. Does that fit only under the purview of a Land Surveyor? No. Architects and Engineers, also fit this category.
With that said, I have used a scanner, processed the data and would love to be able to afford one. I have to focus on my core of Boundary Surveying first, and niche markets (albeit probably a lucrative one) somewhere below that.
Yes, POB cover pages shout at me that I need to dive in, but their main reason for existence is to sell equipment, whether it can help me find a corner or not.
> Does this scanning and LIDAR you speak of help surveyors determine and perpetuate boundary lines? Then, yes, a surveying license is required.
>
> However, I can't figure out how a scanner will help me do that.
>
> Yes, it can help create a detailed picture on my computer, needing lots of drafting skill, effort, and high-end computing in the process. Does that fit only under the purview of a Land Surveyor? No. Architects and Engineers, also fit this category.
>
> With that said, I have used a scanner, processed the data and would love to be able to afford one. I have to focus on my core of Boundary Surveying first, and niche markets (albeit probably a lucrative one) somewhere below that.
>
> Yes, POB cover pages shout at me that I need to dive in, but their main reason for existence is to sell equipment, whether it can help me find a corner or not.
:good:
A lot of people are doing Lidar HDS scanning including LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers).
They get some rudimentary training but don't really have a clue about control. It's just a magic box to them. They do cloud to cloud registrations on brushy terrain, stuff like that.
I guess there is no law against using equipment and making a mess of it. They don't seem to get called on it because the LEO with shiny badge shows up in the witness box and shows the Jury the whiz-bang show and tell. No one really questions it. In a lot of cases it is more of a dog and pony show than something actually used in a scientific way.
>Wouldn't it be nice to see that surveying was required? Wouldn't it be nice to see that a PLS was required to supervise this mapping?
>
Possibly questionable if it needs to be under the purview of a PLS (clearly not a 'boundary only' PS), but yes it would be nice and even expected. Highly accurate geospatial measurements relating to geo-relevant datums should not fall to architects & engineers. Hard as it may be to believe, surveying applications actually exist outside of boundary determination, but yeah, the GISers or engineers will probably by default absorb them - the surveying industry in general seems to be ok with that anyways
Wouldn't it be nice to see that a PLS was required to supervise this mapping?
Don't hold your breath for this.
Our profession is still arguing over the four year degree requirement. If we want to be leaders we need to be smarter.